Whatever Happened to DeShon Elliott, Steelers Are in Trouble

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers placing safety DeShon Elliott on Injured Reserve to begin the 2026 regular season was a shocking blow to the defense. After he returned to practice towards the end of training camp and appeared in the team's second preseason contest against the New York Jets, all signs pointed towards his return in Week 1 of the regular season.

That won't be the case for the Steelers, unfortunately. Instead, Elliott was placed on IR with a designation to return. That means he can't practice or play for the first four weeks of the season.

Maybe he aggravated his injury during that preseason contest, although the organization maintains that's not the case. Whatever the situation, the absence of Elliott spells big trouble for the Steelers' secondary.

Why This Is Such an Issue for Steelers

When Elliott returned to practice during training camp, he was on track for a return in Week 1 of the regular season. The organization preached patience, but as they ramped up their veteran safety, it was clear that they wanted him back for him the regular season opener.

But now, the team will be without him for at least the first four weeks of the season, if not longer.

And there is no real replacement ready on the roster.

Without Elliott, the team will likely start first-year Steelers safety Jaquan Brisker and Jalen Ramsey or Rayshawn Jenkins in his absence.

It's an immediate step back for the secondary, which is coming off of an impressive 2025 campaign. The passing defense finished in the bottom 10 of the NFL last year, and Elliott's return was a pivotal piece in returning the group to form.

Now, the team is trying to bend without breaking while they whether the storm of Elliott's absence. New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is operating without a full arsenal of players, and lacks his leader on the back end.

Aug 21, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Jets tight end Jelani Woods (86) scores a touchdown in front of Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott (25) during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Where Steelers Go From Here

The worst part about this situation, is that the Steelers have no real options at their disposal. They simply have to wait for Elliott to return. Not only that, they are banking on him being the same player he was in 2024 and 2025 before the injury.

Elliott can reach that place again, easily, but it's not a guarantee. In his lone preseason appearance, I noticed a bit of lateral quickness lacking from the veteran safety. That might have been what the Steelers saw and pushed them to place him on IR.

Either way, the Steelers are once again investing all of their hope in a makeshift secondary to start the season. It doesn't really matter how they got here, but the safety position is in serious trouble in 2026.

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